Tooth band



c. A. 'SPAHN Feb. 24, 1931.

TOOTH BAND Filed Jan. 11', 1929 f lvqlil u INVENT R z 9 z/ v ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1931 ES PATENT creme CHARLES A. SPAHN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY roo'rn BAND Application filed Januaiy 11, 1929. $e1ia1 No. 331,797.

This invention relates in general to metal tooth bands, for example anchor bands which are applied to teeth to hold or support teeth straightening devices such as arch bows.

Tooth bands of the general character described olten remain in'the mouth for periods of time ranging from six months to two or three years, and they have a deleterious effect upon the teeth, tending to promote decay of the teeth next adjacent those teeth to which the bands are applied. Such bands are now usually made of an alloy of platinum,

palladium, and gold with sometimes a small percentage of silver and copper.

The salts of certain metals, for example silver, are known to have ,a germicidal action and such salts may be formed in the mouth; but silver cannot be used for tooth bands because it becomes black alter a short period, presenting an unsightly appearance, and has not the necessary edge and tensil strength.

One object of my invention is to provide ,a tooth band by which the germicidal properties of salts of silver, or other substances having similar germicidal properties, may

,be utilized to prevent decay of adjoining teeth with which the band contacts, and which at the same time overcomes or obviates the' disadvantages or objections inherent in the use of silver or base metal for the entire toot-h band.

Another object is to provide a tooth band which is in the main formed of the usual precious metals or alloys and which has at portions of its surface which will contact with adjacent teeth when applied, a coating or layer, or insert ot metal having germicidal properties, such as silver, whereby said portions are invisible between the teeth so as not to detract from the appearance of the band and will emit or throw oil germicidal salts at the points .of contact with the adjacentteeth and prevent decay.

Gther objects are to provide a tooth band of the character described formed of the usua'l metal or alloy and having recesses in its surface containing ageri'nieidal metal such a v ispo e -spa e mints 9 a "said germicidal metal will be'located in juxof the band tion, and

tapes-ed relation to the teeth adjacent to the tooth to which the band is applied; to provide such a tooth band which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding andlike parts are designated throughout the severalviews by the .same reference characters.

Figure l is a perspective view of a tooth band showing thev same applied to tooth.

Figure 2 is a tee Pla iew th e f- Figure 3 is a, detached perspective view embodying the invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the linee4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a strip of band material embodying my inven- 7 Figure 6 is a composite view of two separate pieces'ot band material adapted to form tooth bands of difierent sizes.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the tooth band in one commonform as manufactured consists of one annular endless piece of material 1 of a diameter to encircle a tooth of a given size. Usually such bands are, made in many sizes. for use upon all .ofthe human teeth. This general type of band is old and well-known and is applied to a tooth in known manner as indicated in Figures land 2 where reference a te A d igna e the o th aving th band cemented thereto, as indicated at 2 Figure at, and B and C designate adjacent ,teeth at opposite sides of thebanded tooth. The teeth are usually so closely related that the band contacts with or presses against the j e t ee l a d C at t e P nts Da e E espe t y, and when th be d i-. .f kn w yp ithas dele er eus s te-Q -.up, i t e rtions of theadjacent teeth B and C, tending t r om e de ayi According t e :f 'm- 1 3 a nt em the u erisurfaceq th fi and as aetithe P 't en ither e wh eQ t e ithth adjac position can be formed with the chemicals formed in the mouth; for example I may use a metal such as silver, the salts of which have germicidal properties. This coating, layer or insert may be applied in any suitable manner, but one preferred way is to form recesses 4 in the outer surfaces of the band at dimetrically opposite points and then deposit by an electroplating process the silver or the like in said recesses. Ordinarily the main portion of the band 1 is formed of an alloy of platinum, palladium and gold and is about seven thousandths of an inch in thickness. The recesses or depressions i are made of adepth of about one thousandth of an inch, so that when the metal is electro-deposited in the recesses it is one thousandth of an inch thick and the band is uniform in cross-section, its outer surface being smooth and uninterrupted. When the band is appliedto a tooth A, the coatings, layers or inserts 3 are positioned between the tooth to which the band is applied and the adjacent teeth as shown in Figure 4:. In this position the inserts are invisible. Salts of the silver or other germicidal metal are formed while the band is applied and are emitted or thrown OK so as to protect the adjacent teeth B and C against decay; and furthermore, the insert or layer 3 of germicidal metal forms a shield or insulation to prevent contact between the adj acent teeth B and C and the main portion of the band 1 the metal of which if it contacts with the teeth has a tendency to start decay of the teeth. This is a very important advantage of the invention since such tooth bands frequently remain in the mouth from periods ranging from six months to two or three years so that serious impairment of the teeth adjacent the banded tooth may take place with the known types of bands.

In addition to the endless type of tooth hand there is also manufactured and sold band material, that is strips of material of the proper width which can be cut up by the orthodontist or dentist into suitable lengths required by the sizes of teeth to be handed. My invention may also be embodied in such band material 5 as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, by applying coatings, layers or inserts 6 of germicidal metal at spaced points in the length of the strip. Two of the inserts would be probably positioned upon each given length of material, and the spacing of the inserts may be made irregular to provide for bands of different sizes. For example a small band might be cut ofi the left end of the strip on the line 7, while a larger size could be cut off on the line 8 and so on. It is also possible to manufacture individual strips of band material for given sizes of teeth, as shown in Figure 6, where a strip for a small band is designated 9 and a strip for a large band is designated 10. The invention may be applied to this type of band in the same man ner as described in connection with Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, each individual strip 9 and 10 having a coating, layer or insert 11 of the germicidal metal applied thereto in such position that when the strip is formed into aband the inserts will be in such a position as to contact with the teeth adjacent to the tooth to which the band is applied.

Vhile I have described only one germicidal metal it should be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to utilize all germicidal metals which are the equivalents of silver in obtaining the results toward which the invention is directed and while I have described the germicidal'metal as applied to the band in a certain specific way, the material may be applied to or inserted on the band or band material in many other ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. As an article of manufacture, material for making tooth bands having a certain portion of its surface formed of a substance having germicidal properties and located so that a tooth band formed from said material shall have the portion of its surface which is to be arranged between teeth when the band is applied, consisting of said substance.

2. As an article of manufacture, material for making tooth bands having a certain portion of its surface formed of silver and located so that a tooth band formed from said material shall have the portion of its surface which is to be arranged between teeth when the band is applied, consisting of silver.

3. As an article of manufacture, 'a tooth band having the diametrically opposite portions of its surface which are to be arranged between teeth when the band is applied, formed of silver.

4. As an article of manufacture, a tooth band having the diametrically opposite portions of its surface which are to be arranged between the teeth when the band is applied, formed of a substance having germicidal properties.

5. A tooth band formed of metal having a recess containing a germicidal substance in the portion of its outer surface to be arranged between teeth when said band isapplied to a tooth.

6. A tooth band formed of metal having the portion of its outer surface to be arranged between teeth when said band is applied to a tooth, formed of silver.

7. A tooth band formed of metal having the portion of its outer surface to be arranged between teeth when said band is applied to a tooth, formed of a substance having germicidal properties.

8. A tooth band formed of metal having a recess containing silver in the portion of its outer surface to be arranged between teeth when said band is applied to a tooth.

9. As an article of manufacture, a strip of metal for forming tooth bands having a recess containing silver in the portion of its outer surface which when the strip is formed into a tooth band is to contact with the tooth adjacent that to which the band is applied.

10. As an article of manufacture, a strip m of metal for forming tooth bands having recesses spaced longitudinally of its outer surface in such relation that when said strip is formed into a tooth band said recesses shall be in juxtaposition with teeth adjacent that 15 to which said band is applied, said recesses containing a germicidal substance.

11. As an article of manufacture, a strip of metal for forming tooth bands having recesses spaced longitudinally of its outer sur- 20 face in such relation that when said strip is formed into a tooth band said recesses shall be in juxtaposition with teeth adjacent that to which said band is applied, said recesses containing silver.

12. As an article of manufacture, a strip of metal for forming tooth bands having a germicidal substance permanently applied on spaced portions of its surface which when said strip is formed into a tooth band shall 3 be arranged in juxtaposition to the teeth adj acent to that to which said band is applied.

13. As an article of manufacture, a strip of metal for forming tooth bands having silver at spaced portions of its length which when said strip is formed into a tooth band shall be arranged in juxtaposition to the teeth adjacent that to which said band is applied.

CHARLES A. SPAHN. 

